Meet The Team!

Shawn Tydlaska, CFP®, MBA

Founder & CEO

Shawn is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and holds an MBA from the University of Michigan - Ross School of Business. Shawn also holds a BA in Economics and a Minor in Education from UCLA.

After graduating from UCLA, Shawn was unprepared to manage his own personal financial life. Credit scores, 401(k)s, and budgeting were all foreign concepts and he felt overwhelmed. When he started to learn how to best manage his own finances, he was immediately hooked. He knew he found his professional calling to help others achieve the same sense of empowerment he felt when he took control over his finances. Shawn launched Ballast Point Financial Planning in 2016 to be your partner in achieving your financial goals and dreams.

In addition to helping clients reach their goals, Shawn is passionate about helping new planners get started in the financial planning industry. He is one of the co-founders of the BLX Internship Program which helps aspiring financial planners who identify as Black or Latinx attain internships at financial planning firms. The goal of BLX is to help make the demographics of our profession more closely match the demographics of our country.

Shawn is an avid runner and has finished the Boston Marathon 7 times. He loves camping with his wife, son, daughter, and their beloved cavapoo named Coop.

Jennifer Ulmer, CFP®, EA

Lead Financial Planner & CCO

Jennifer Ulmer is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and an Enrolled Agent with the IRS. She holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and finance from the University of Central Florida.

Driven by a desire to help young professionals make sense of their finances, her approach is to provide a judgment-free zone to talk about money and all that goes with it (because it’s never just about money). Through education and support, she strives to empower clients to feel confident and make intentional financial decisions that align with their values.

Jennifer is a native Floridian and currently resides in Oviedo, a small suburb of Orlando. In her spare time, you will find her cheering on Orlando City Soccer Club and UCF Football. She and her husband love being outdoors enjoying all that Florida has to offer.

Drew Hanessian, CFP®, MBA

Associate Financial Planner

Drew Hanessian (Huh-NESS-ee-en) graduated from SUNY Binghamton University with a degree in Finance. He then joined the U.S. Navy as a Supply Officer. He served 8 years, completing tours on a fast-attack submarine and for the Office of Special Projects. He once spent 55 days underwater!

After completing his MBA at the University of Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School, Drew moved to San Diego with his wife, a Navy JAG attorney, and worked in project management with a digital media company.

Realizing that he got the most joy from helping others with their finances, Drew decided to pursue this passion as a career. He started at Ballast Point in 2021, graduated from Columbia University with a Master's in Wealth Management in 2022, and became a CFP® in 2023.

Drew resides in Norfolk, Virginia with Tristany, their daughter Emilia, their twin boys Leopold and Theodore, and their cat Crash. He enjoys traveling, reading, podcasts, and all kinds of games and sports.

Andrea Vedder, CFP®

Associate Financial Planner

Andrea graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon with a degree in Economics (minoring in creative writing). She spent the first few years of her career in book publishing as a Literary Assistant in New York City. She then worked as a financial planner at a Fee-Only financial planning firm in Portland, Oregon.

Andrea lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband Chase and their two kids: Juno, age 6, and Max, age 3. In her free time, you'll mostly find her reading a book, teaching her kids how to swim, or enjoying a great meal with friends and family. If you have a favorite restaurant, consignment store, city garden or park, she'd love to hear all about it—those are a few of her favorite things!

Vidalia Cornwall, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®

Financial Planning Resident

Vidalia Cornwall graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Economics (minoring in Math and Financial Planning). She spent the first few years of her career as an associate at Northwestern Mutual. Always excited to learn more about financial planning, she is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) as well as a Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®).

She believes everyone deserves to feel comfortable with their financial situation so they can have the confidence to pursue the life they dream of. Helping clients feel organized and empowered through financial planning is her favorite part of her job.

Vidalia lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with her husband Chaz, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Michigan Tech. In her free time, you'll find her outside on a run or enjoying a good book.

Philly Pridgen, FPQP®

Operations Specialist

Philly has always been interested in and enjoyed finance on a personal level, so much so that she obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance from James Madison University in Virginia. She spent the next several years working with a nonprofit organization which focused on coaching military clients to improve their financial situations by encouraging savings, reducing debt, and living within their means.

As the Operations Specialist, Philly thrives working behind the scenes and is dedicated to supporting the Ballast Point team while ensuring a seamless client experience.

Philly is an east coast transplant currently residing in England with her husband and two children. In her spare time Philly can be found crafting, baking, visiting the beach, and toting her kids to and from baseball and dance.

Photos by Denver-Headshots